Read an Excerpt
Chapter 1
Thanksgiving
Eat
Turkey with Cranberry on Mini Pumpkin Muffins
Mashed Potato Popovers with Mozzarella
Mini Pecan & Rosemary Pies
Mini Pumpkin-Caramel Brownies
Drink
Tipsy Turkey Martini
Cider House Rules
Play
How to Set a Less Is More Bar
Soup Sipping Station
Mini Pie/Brownie Stand
Recover
Hangover Kit Assembly
To be perfectly honest, I’ve only catered one Thanksgiving in my entire career, and it was a disaster (we’ll get to that story shortly). However, it taught me two very important things about Thanksgiving entertaining: First, less is more, something you never hear when it comes to Thanksgiving. Second, Thanksgiving should be spent with family, friends, or loved ones, not with a caterer. If you cringe thinking about a long, drawn-out meal with heated family discussions around the dinner table, then a Cocktail Party Thanksgiving is perfect for you, since there’s no dining room table required for it. If this concept scares you completely and entertaining without sitting at a table just will not cut it for your Thanksgiving gathering, then use this party as a fun night of thanks with your pals, pre-Thanksgiving recipe testing, or a gratitude party. While these recipes and ideas are great for Thanksgiving, they can also serve as a template for all your fall cocktail parties. Good luck, and gobble gobble!
Love,
Mary
PS: If you’re scared to try my Turkey with Mini Pumpkin Muffins that were featured in People magazine (how’s that for a shameless plug?) Don’t sweat it. Take the pressure off yourself and relish the comfort of knowing that in addition to it being a day of gratitude, it is also a day where disastrous entertaining mistakes are being made throughout the country. So roll up those sleeves and get baking.
Turkey with Cranberry on Mini Pumpkin Muffins
These muffins are a great way to use up leftover turkey or celebrate the flavors of Thanksgiving any time of year. You can also spice them up by using a jalapeño-cranberry sauce for a little kick. Another great use of leftover turkey is a turkey, Brie, and cranberry grilled cheese.
Yield: 24 mini muffins
Prep time: 15 minutes • Cooking time: 20 minutes
1.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 12-cup nonstick mini muffin pans and set aside. If you do not have two muffin pans, then please repeat twice to make 24 pieces.
2.In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside.
3.In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, milk, oil, and eggs and blend. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture.
4.Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake for 15 minutes.
5.Let cool for 20 minutes. Once cool, remove the muffins from the pan and slice each muffin in half horizontally.
6.Place sliced turkey and a dollop of cranberry sauce on the bottom halves and close with the muffin tops.
7.Serve on a small platter or pass as a small bite.
1¼cups all-purpose flour
½cup dark brown sugar
1teaspoon baking powder
1teaspoon baking soda
½teaspoon salt
½teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾cup canned pumpkin
2/3cup whole milk
½cup vegetable oil
2eggs, beaten
4 to 6 slices leftover turkey
One 14-ounce can cranberry sauce
Party Prep Playlist
“Sing for Your Supper” (The Mamas & Papas), “Aint No Mountain High Enough” (Diana Ross), “Charlie Brown” Thanksgiving Theme (Vince Guaraldi), “The Thanksgiving Song” (Adam Sandler), “Thanks for the Memory” (Ella Fitzgerald), “Gratitude” (Earth, Wind & Fire), “Pleasant Valley Sunday” (The Monkees), “Thank You” (Sly and the Family Stone), “Thank You” (Led Zeppelin), “Shelter from the Storm” (Bob Dylan), “Stick with Me” (Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers), “Harvest Moon” (Neil Young)
Mashed Potato Popovers with Mozzarella
This is a variation on a recipe passed down by my Aunt Carol’s Aunt Minnie. I love anything with melted cheese in it, and the first time my aunt served these at Thanksgiving, I was hooked. The bread crumbs and Parmesan give the potatoes a delcious crisp crust. A real crowd-pleaser.
Yield: 24 popovers
Prep time: 20 minutes • Cooking time: 20 minutes
1.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 12-cup mini muffin pans with olive oil.
2.In a large bowl, add the mashed potatoes, parsley, Parmesan, egg yolks, milk, ½ cup of the mozzarella (save the rest for topping), and 1∕3 cup of the bread crumbs (save the rest for topping). Stir together and season with the salt and pepper.
3.With a mini (25mm) ice cream scoop, portion the mashed potato mixture into the muffin pans.
4.Top with the remaining mozzarella and the bread crumbs.
5.Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is melted and golden brown.
6.Serve on a small decorative platter or pass as a small bite.
3cups cooked mashed potatoes
2teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
2egg yolks, lightly beaten
1teaspoon whole milk
1cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella
¼cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1teaspoon each salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Mini Pecan & Rosemary Pies
Mini pies are a perfect party dessert, as you can pop them in your mouth without a fork.
Yield: 24 mini pies
Prep time: 50 minutes • Cooking time: 20 minutes
1.For the pastry dough: In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.
2.Using a pastry cutter, mix the cold butter into the flour mixture until it looks like wet sand.
3.Add the egg and work it into the butter mixture until just combined.
4.Use your hands to lightly press the clumps of dough into a ball. If the dough is too dry, add another tablespoon of cold water. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
5.For the filling: Make it while the dough rests. In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt. Add the rosemary and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute and turn off the heat. Let the mixture steep for at least 10 minutes. The longer it steeps, the stronger the flavor will be.
6.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 12-cup mini muffin pans with butter and refrigerate.
7.Between two pieces of parchment or wax paper, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Use a 2½-inch circle cutter to cut out 24 rounds. Work each round into the wells of the muffin pans. Chill for 30 minutes.
8.Toast the pecans for 10 minutes on a baking sheet. Coarsely chop three-quarters of the nuts, leaving the rest whole.
9.Remove the rosemary from the sugar mixture and lightly beat in the eggs.
10.Add the chopped pecans and pour the filling into the prepared pans. Place 1 whole pecan on the top of each tart and bake for 20 minutes.
11.Remove the pies from the pans and let them cool on a rack.
12. Serve on a small platter or tiered stand or as part of the Mini Pie/Brownie Stand snactivity (see page 24).
Pastry Dough
1½cups all-purpose flour
2tablespoons granulated sugar
¾teaspoon salt
7tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1egg, lightly beaten
2tablespoons cold water
Filling
½ cup dark brown sugar
6tablespoons honey
2tablespoons unsalted butter, plus additional for buttering pans
¼teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8teaspoon salt
4fresh rosemary sprigs
½cup pecans
2eggs
Mini Pumpkin-Caramel Brownies
Yield: 24 brownies
Prep time: 15 minutes • Cooking time: 30 minutes
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 13-inch pan.
2.For the brownies: Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler, stirring occasionally. When smooth, let cool slightly.
3.In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the chocolate mixture, and once it is thoroughly combined, add the flour. Set aside.
4.For the pumpkin swirl: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, softened cream cheese, and pumpkin.
5.In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix into the pumpkin mixture. Set aside.
6.For the caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to medium-high heat to just before a boil and then reduce to a simmer. The mixture will begin to melt and brown around the edges. Swirl slightly to combine.
7.Once the mixture is caramel in color and liquid, at about 325°F, remove from the heat and add the heavy cream and vanilla. The mixture will boil up. Whisk together until smooth and then stir in the salt. Set aside and allow to cool.
8.Pour the brownie batter into the pan and then pour the pumpkin swirl as a layer on top.
9.Slowly drizzle horizontal lines of caramel across the top of the pumpkin batter. Space the lines about ½ inch apart to make a grid.
10.With a knife, pull the lines vertically to create a diamond pattern. Repeat every ½ inch.
11. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely and then chill in the refrigerator. Cut into bite-size brownies (about 2 inches square).
12.Serve on a small platter or tiered stand by themselves or as part of the Mini Pie/Brownie Stand snactivity (see page 24).
